A federal judge has blocked New York Governor David Paterson’s plan to impose his tax collection scheme on Native American tribes.
Syracuse.com: U.S. District Court Judge Richard Arcara prevented the state tax department from “implementing, administering, and enforcing” the law set to go into effect tomorrow.
The ruling was a victory for the Seneca and Cayuga tribes, who filed suit last week to stop the collections. The tribes said the state’s system for insuring that tribal members didn’t have to pay the taxes infringed on tribal sovereignty.
I’m not sure what this means for the other tribes. I heard on the local news that they are in talks with the governor’s office. No word on whether Governor Paterson sported a cowboy hat and shotgun at the meetings.
Enforcing the cigarette tax on the tribes will do little to help with the budget in Albany. It’s a drop in the bucket, and the increased taxes on cigarettes has backfired. Not to mention that the Native Americans are now manufacturing their own brands of cigarettes, so sales on those brands will increase while the name brand sales will decrease.
Tags: blocks, cigarette tax, enforcement, Indian, judge, Native American, new york, tribes
The Tribes are considered sovereign nations, State Law cannot be enforced on them.
Paterson is stupid for trying and offensive with the cowboy hat stunt.
Besides………No Northeastern Urban Progressive will EVER be a REAL cowboy.
Hippies love Mother Nature but usually can’t man up enough to be a serious cowpoke.
Wearing a cowboy hat or having a cow and a few chickens (maybe a pig) on a commune (farm) doesn’t count.
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Anything for the tax dollar, eh?
It might be a good development. The tribes do have their sovereignty, too bad the left respects nothing other than it’s own need for power.
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They refuse to reduce spending. Instead, they’re constantly in search of new revenue sources. It’s like they’re turning people upside down trying to shake the change out of their pockets. They don’t care about the sovereignty of the tribes. It’s disgusting.
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